Apparatus for treating garbage or like wastes



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-.Sheet 1.

C. J. BEST & W. A. HALL. APPARATUS POE TREATING GARBAGE 0R LIKE WASTES.No. 501,760.

Patented July 18, 1893.

Wrfasw (No-Model.) A 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

n. J. BEST su w. A. HALL, i

.APPARATUS FOR TRBTING GARBAGE 0R LIKE WASTYES. No. 501,760. PatentedJuly 18,1893..

Wnass as In/verders Charm/7.1906115 a: Wwm4# wawffza ply of air isadmitted, and by this means the UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. BEST AND WALTER A. HALL, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, AS-

SIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE CHEMICAL GARBAGEREDUCTION COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FORTREATING GARBAGE OR LIKE WASTES.

SEECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 501,760, dated July 18,1893.

Application filed December 2l, 1892. Serial No. 455,976. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Beit known that we, CHARLES J. BEST and WALTER A. HALL, both citizens ofthe United States, and residents of Seattle, King county, Washington,have invented certain Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Garbage andLike Wastes, of which the following is a specification. Y

-The object of our invention is to provide for the treatment of garbageand like wastes in such manner as to obtain valuable products therefrom,to prevent the escape of noxious or unpleasant gases or vapors, and toutilize the iniammable portions of the gases or vapors driven 0E fromthe garbage for the purpose of heating the latter. Y These object-s weattain in the manner h ereinafter set forth, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l, is a longitudinal section ofgarbage treating apparatus constructed in accordance with our invention.Fig. 2, is a perspective view ofthe retort or furnace struct-y ureforming a part of said apparatus; and Fig. 3, is a view of part of theretort or furnace illustrating a feature of construction of the same.

In carrying out our invention the garbage, preferably after being dried,is subjected to heat in a retort to which only a limited supvolatile orvaporizable constituents of the garbage are driven od, the remainingportions being carbonized and accumulating in the retort until theirremoval becomes necessary. The vaporized constituents are passed into acondenser whereby the tar, Hats, salts, and like constituents areseparated from the gaseous portions of the vapor, the latter being thenconducted to the retortsand there ignited so as to serve the purpose ofheating said retorts and supplying fuel for the continuance of theoperation, fuel independent of the garbage itself being necessary onlyin starting the operation.

A and B represent a pair of retorts cylindrical in the present instanceand com municating through passages-aand b with hoppers A and B mountedon the top of the structure containing the retorts, each of thesehoppers being provided with upper and lower valves d so that when thelower valve is closed and the upper valve opened,garbage may bedeposited 'in the hopper, and on closing the upper valve,

may be subjected to heat therein so as to dry or partially dry it, theopening of the lower valve then permitting the dropping of the dried orpartially dried mass of garbage into the retort beneath. Y

In the lower portion of each retort is a series of perforated bricks f,and beneath this portion of the retort is a box gand an ash pit g for apurpose described hereinafter'.

Each of the retorts is furnished with an escape pipe F provided with asuitable valve, and these pipes F communicate with a pipe F', thecontinuity of which is, in the present instance, interrupted bya pump'G,so thatin starting the operation, the vapors may be withdrawn from theretorts by the action of said pump if desired. The discharge end of thepipe F is bent downward and terminates in the lower portion of acondenser H which is partially iilled with water, so that the vaporsarising from the heated mass of garbage in the retorts are caused topass through this body of water, whereby the condensable constituents ofsuch vapors are separated therefrom and remain in the condenser eitherin the form of tars, oils, salt solutions or the like, the heavierelements settling tothe bottom of the condenser and passing therefromthrough a pipe h into the tar well I, while the lighter elements iioatupon the top of the water in the condenser, from which they can beremoved if desired through suitable try cocks fi, the gage glass servingto indicate the level of liquid in the condenser. The condenser can alsobe drained of its water through a discharge cock rl", and the contentsof the tar well can be removed by means of a pump I.

The gaseous ornon-condensable elements of the vapors emanating from theheated masses of garbage in the retorts escape from the condenser Hthrough a pipe J which has suitable branches communicating with theboxes gbeneath the retorts, and the gas can be ignited as it issues fromthese branches so as to supply heat for carbonizing and driving 0E thevapors from the masses of garbage in the retorts; hence iire need bekindled beneath the retorts only in starting the operation, theinflammable gases produced by the heating of the garbage supplying thefuel for maintaining the retorts in the heated condition after theoperation is Well under way. The ash pits g receive the ashes from thesolid fuel which is used in the fire boxes g in starting the operation.

The retorts are connected by abranch pipe K having a valve K operated bya suitable handle leading to the outside of the casing, so that saidvalve can be turned to open or close communication between the retorts Aand B through the passage K, and the degree of heat in each retort canthus be regulated, or the retorts can be used singly if desired. Forinstance, there may be dry garbage in one retort and Wet .garbage in theother, or it may be advisable to convey the vapors or gases from oneretort to the other, or in either circumstances it may be advisable tohave the action of one retort entirely independent of that of the other,which different methods of operation are provided for by the valvedpassage. The perforated bricks f forming the courses in the bottom ofeach retort provide a fire brick grate upon which the garbage issupported and through which the gas passes for igniting the garbage, andin the front of each retort is a register plate m with openings forsupplying air in limited volume to the retort, it being advisable toeffect a slow combustion or distillation of the garbage so that thesolid portions of the latter will be carbonized and will constitute avaluable product for fertiliz- `ing or other purposes.

The vapors or gases generated by the heatingl or drying of the garbagein the hoppers A and B are permitted to escape therefrom through valvedpipes fnl communicating with Vthe discharge pipe F', and valved pipes pserve to introduce steam into the retorts when it is consideredadvisable to reinforce by the ad-` dition of such steam the gases orvapors emanating from the heated masses of garbage in the retorts.

A branch pipe s leads from the discharge pipe F into a Well s at thebottom of the termine the inflammability of the gases which are drivenoff from the retorts.

It will be evident that by the process and apparatus which we havedescribed, the garbage maybe treated without the escape of any noxiousor offensive gases or odors, and such treatment may be effected with aminimum of expense owing to the fact that the gases from the garbageitself serve to aid in supplying a heat, and to the additional fact thatall of the valuable constituents of the garbage are saved in such formas to be of commercial value.

Having thus described our invention, we claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent- 1. The combination, in garbage treating apparatus, ofthe retort having a supply hopper and discharge pipe, a fire boxbeneath-theretort for heating the same, and means for supplying air inlimited volume to the retort so as to restrict combustion therein andcause a charring of the solid portions of the garbage, substantially asspecified.

2. The combination, in garbage treating apparatus, of the retort havinga feed hopper and discharge pipe, a lire box beneath said retort for.heating the same and in communication therewith, means for admittingair in limited volume to the retort, and a pipe whereby a portion of thevolatilized products escaping from the retort is returned to the re box,substantially as specified.

3. The combination in apparatus for treating garbage, of the retorthaving a feed hopper, discharge pipe and pump, a grate of refractorymaterial in the lower portion, and a fire box located directly beneathsaid grate, substantially as specified.

4. The combination in apparatus for treating garbage, of a pairofretorts located side by side and each having a feed hopper, a dischargepipe and heating devices, with a Valved passage connecting the retortsand serving to convey heated vapors from one to the other when the flowof the same through the main discharge pipe is cut 0E, substantially asspecified.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES J. BEST. WALTER'A. HALL.

Witnesses to the signature of Charles J. Best:

ALBERT PoPxINs, SAML. I-I. MossLER. Witnesses to the signature of WalterA. Hall:

I. M. HALL, W. H. MoRRIs.

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